Mortar jig



31, 1965 r T. M. KOLAKOWSKI ETAL 3, 0

MORTAR JIG Filed Sept. 24, 1963 MAI INVENTORY Thaddeus Mlfobahowskz/w ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,203,070 MORTAR JIG Thaddeus M. Kolakowski, 1421 Scoville Ave. SW., and Jose Perez, 2515 Saratoga Ave. SW., both of Canton, Ohio Filed Sept. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 311,112 1 Claim. (Cl. 25118) This invention relates to a device tor regulating the quantity and placement of mortar used in a masonary wall.

In the past masonry walls have been constructed by the manual application of skilled masons or bricklayers who perform in a workmanlike manner. Where, however, a nonskilled workman prefers to build his own wall, he is seldom satisfied with the resulting appearance.

It has been found that a nonskilled person may construct a wall in an even and workmanlike manner with considerable speed. The device of the present invention permits the placement of the proper amount of mortar between each course of bricks. The device is not only conducive to a speedy performance and saving of mortar, [but it provides an accurate procedure with unifiorm mortar joints and brick spacing.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a mortar jig which permits a rapid and accurate application of mortar in a course of bricks.

It is another object of this invention to provide a mortar jig which results in a uniform mortar joint Without wasting mortar.

It is another object of this invention to provide a mortar jig which is easy to use and quickly removed and replaced during use.

Finally, it is an object of this invention to provide a mortar jig which is economical to manufacture, easy to operate, and requires a minimum amount of maintenance and repair.

These and other objects and advantages apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and claim may be obtained, the stated results achieved, and the described difiiculties and problems overcome and solved by the parts, elements, constructions, mechanisms, combinations, subcombinat-ions, and arrangements, which comprise the present invention, the nature or which is set forth in the following general statement, preferred embodiments of which-illustrative of the best mode in which applicants have contemplated applying the principlesare set forth in the following description and shown in the drawing, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claim hormin-g part hereof.

In general terms the present invention may be described as comprising a rectangular frame having two spaced parallel side members and two spaced parallel end members, the end members being secured to one side member, the other side member being detachably secured to the end members, means for detachably securing said other side member to each end member and including slot means for receiving the end portion of each end member, the end port-ion or each end member having notch means for receiving one edge fiorming each slot means, said other side member being adjustable between positions of engagement and disengagement with the slot means, said other side member being manually adjustable between said positions, and spring means for holding said other side member in said position of engagement the slot means.

Referring to the drawing forming part hereof in which preferred embodiments are shown by way of example:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the device mounted on a brick wall;

ice

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional View of another embodiment of the mortar jig as used on concrete blocks.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

In FIG. 1 a mortar jig is generally indicated at 1 where it is mounted in place rfor use on a wall composed of bricks 2. The jig 1 includes a pair of spaced parallel side members 3 and 4, a pair of spaced end members 5 and 6, and means generally indicated at 7 for detachably mounting the side member 4 in place on the end members 5 and 6. The side members 3 and 4 are elongated strips which may be 18 inches long and one inch wide. Both members 3 and 4 are necessarily flat except for the member 4 having tabs 8 at opposite ends for finger engagement upon releasing said member from its position of engagement on the end members 5 and 6.

The end members 5 and 6 are fixedly secured to the side member 3. As shown for the end member 5 in FIG. 2, by way of example, the side member 3 is pro vided with an aperture 9 in which a reduced end portion 10 of the end member is seated and secured in place by a weld 1 1.

The side member 4 is provided with a pair of similar slots 12 which have a spacing equal to and which are aligned with the end members 5 and 6.

Both end members 5 and 6 are identical and have the construction of end member 5, shown in FIG. 2, which has a reduced end portion .13 and has a notch 14 which provides a shoulder 15 with the wider body portion of the end member 5. The notch 14 also provides a shoulder edge 16 on the side of the notch adjacent the reduced end portion 13. The notch has a width slightly greater than the thickness of the side member 4 to facilitate insertion and removal of said member into and out of the notch.

The length of the slot is slightly .greater than the width of the reduced end portion 13. When the side member 4 is seated in the notch 14, the upper side of the side member 4 is aligned with the upper sides of the end members 5 and 6 and with the side member 3.

The attachment means 7 also includes a coil spring 17 having one end 18 secured to an aperture 19 in the reduced end portion 13 and having another end portion 20 a secured in an aperture 21 in the side member 4. The

other end portion 20 of the spring 17 is located above a horizontal line between the notches 14 in the end members 5 and 6, which line is a pivot line about which the side member 4 is rotated counterclockwise when it is seated in the notch 14 so that the lower portion of the side member is held snugly against the bricks 2. The lower portions of both side members 3 and 4 exert a slight squeezing action on the top portions of the bricks 2 and hold the jig securely in place.

With the jig in place, as shown in FIG. 1, mortar may be placed on the top of the bricks 2 and within the frame of the jig 1. The aligned top edges of the frame members 3, 4, 5, and 6 permit the leveling of the top of the mortar and removal of any excess mortar. The jig 1 may then be removed and placed in the next adjacent position for the application of another segment of mortar and leaving the previous segment 22 of mortar (FIG. 1) intact and ready for the placement of another course of bricks 2.

The jig 1 is removed from its location by simultaneously lifting the tabs 8 when the thumb of each hand is placed on the right and left end portions and the corresponding index finger is placed under the tab and lifted. The force of the spring 17 then pulls the side member 4 to the dotted position, as shown in FIG. 2, which provides sufiicient clearance for replacement of the jig 1 at the next adjacent segment of bricks 2.

In 'FIG. 3 a mortar jig generally indicated at 23 may be provided for use with concrete blocks 24. The members for the jig 23 have substantially the same construction as for the jig 1 used for the bricks 2. However, due to variations in the width of concrete blocks 24, a plurality of notches 25 are provided on end members 26 instead of a single notch 14, as shown in FIG. 2. Each notch 25 has a vertical side 27 adjacent a spring 28. Each notch 25 also has an inclined surface 29 on the side of th notch remote from the spring 28. For that purpose, a slot 30 in a side member 31 has an upper tapered end 32 corresponding to the shape of the several notches 25. Thus, the end 32 may be placed in any one of the notches 25 which permits the tightest fit when the jig 23 is placed on a course of concrete blocks 24. For that purpose, the spring 28, like the spring 17, applies a slight clockwise rotation to the side member 32 about its horizontal axis with the end 32 serving as a pivotal point where it is held fixedly in place and in abutment with the corresponding vertical side 27.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations have been implied therefrom as such words are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact construction shown.

Having now described the invention, construction, operation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof and the advantageous, new, and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful mortar jig and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art are set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A mortar jig for placing a segment of mortar of uniform thickness on a course of bricks, including two hori- Zontally extending parallel side members, two spaced parallel end members secured to and extending from one side of one of the side members, each end member having at least one notch spaced from said one side member, each notch having a vertical shoulder facing said one side member, the other side member having a slot engageable with each notch on each side member, each side member having upper and lower edge portions extending above and below a course of bricks, said other side member being pivotally movable about a longitudinal axis extending between the points of contact between the notches and slots, the extent of pivotal movement being between loose and snug-fitting engagement of the lower portion of the other side member with a course of bricks, a spring extending between the upper edge portion of said other side member and the end member and holding the lower edge portion of the other side member in snug-fitting engagement with a course of bricks and holding the upper edge portion against the vertical shoulder, said other side member also being manually movable out of the notch and slot engagement position, whereby the other side member is easily detached from snug-fitting engagement with the course of bricks to permit removal of the jig from a course of bricks after mortar is laid.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 824,235 =6/06 Damon 25-121 852,608 5/07 Matthews 25-121 1,208,867 12/ 16 Weitzel. 2,462,644 2/49 Kimura 25-118 2,642,736 6/53 Peper et al 25-118 2,854,724 10/58 Wuorio 25-121 3,076,246 2/ 63 Sunukjian 25-1'18 J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT F. WHITE, WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON,

Examiners. 

